Liste der Bands Doom Metal Argus (USA-1) Boldly Stride the Doomed

How hard is it for a band to make a name for themselves when they already share their moniker with half a dozen other bands? Let's only assume it takes talent and/or a good distribution.

Argus’ label Cruz Del Sur Music may not be the biggest player out there but they’ve shown some bright promises notably with the releases of Atlantean Kodex or Slough Feg among others. And the members of the band are also not just sucklings barely torn apart from their mother’s breasts. With members from Black Metal Vrolok, Stoner Kyuss… oops cross that Penance or Abdullah, the guys have all the pedigree it takes to make some freaking good music.

Their eponymous debut released in 2009 has already attracted the ever growing revival scene of the Traditional Doom genre and most people were expecting something big with their sophomore album. Boldly Stride the Doomed will not disappoint in this regard. Most tracks are still built on this talented mixture of Doom Metal laced with Heavy Metal. Arguably something original lately with the resurgence of the genre, it takes nonetheless some great music to pierce through the mess of all the Black Sabbath wannabes.

And obviously, the shadow of Black Sabbath is never far away when you deal with Traditional Doom but then again Argus know how to put in a twist in the endless diatribe of bands thinking they’ll release Master of Reality 2.0. Butch Balich’s warm tones enchant the record from start to finish, and undeniably there are undertones of Penance in Argus’ music though we’re quite far away from stoner-copycat Parallel Corners even though a few riffs may indicate otherwise.

The most original feature of this second album from the Americans is that not only it’s Heavy Metal with Doom Metal combined but they’ve added some Iron Maiden flavor to a few of their songs. Durendal, among others, display some fantastic “Powerslave” riffing and the bass on the track would have Steve Harris smile a proud one at Andy Ramage without a doubt. Though at first a bit unsettling, as the plays add up, you'll feel this "combination" is most flavored bringing the Ancients and the Moderns together in some epic story. Brilliant.

42-7-29 that follows is arguably the best track of the record displaying more of that Doom and less of this Heavy. My only regret is that the album seems to be a bit too long and the ending tracks (especially Piece of your Smile) feel more like buffer to me and take away some of the initial enthusiasm but rest assured an Argus' filler track is more enjoyable than most of the stuff released today...

Enjoyable and definitely these guys are on the right tracks. While Boldly Stride the Doomed may not be the ultimate masterpiece it shows not only improvement but vast promises for future releases. Watch out for this band!

Doom metal has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the 1970s with bands such as Black Sabbath introducing their blues-infused brand of heavy and dark rock. Argus, hailing from USA brings listeners a modern take on traditional doom metal, with their sophomore full length effort, Boldly Stride the Doomed.

The album starts off with Abandoning the Gates of Byzantium, an acoustic guitar instrumental, plucking out sorrowful notes, laying down the theme for the album. A Curse on the World however wastes no time in displaying the band's brand of doom/heavy metal to the listener, with the introduction riff almost reminiscent of songs out of Iron Maiden's classic era, backed by a strong bass line that will stay throughout the album. Vocalist Butch Balich soon comes into the picture, while not extremely high in his vocal range, is sufficiently powerful and impact-full, leaving an impression on the listener.

The band also constantly brings in unique influences, such as the odd and ever-changing time signature on the intro of the song Wolves of Dusk, before breaking into a similarly technically complex guitar riff, reminding listeners more of technical bands such as Meshuggah instead of the genre that the band is supposedly playing. The chugging main riffs thereafter instantly brings about comparison with the Iron Maiden classic, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. It is also on this song where the epic-sounding guitar solo in the middle of the track reminds listener of bands such as Dream Theater, minus the atmosphere that the latter like to indulge in.

Also, the guitar on the album, while trying to display the traditional doom style, at times almost reek of Eastern influences (think Egyptian), such as the guitar solo on A Curse on the World and also on the intro riffs of The Ladder. The lead guitar on Durendal once again brings back the reference to Iron Maiden's final instrumental track, Losfer Words (Big 'Orra) before introducing some slight folk influences in the song. The piano is also rarely used on the album, but when its presence is heard, it certainly adds a nice melancholic touch to the music, such as on 42-7-29. The epic 11 minute track Pieces of Your Smile is perhaps the slowest and most doom-ish track on the album, evoking a deep stirring of emotions in the listener as the song progresses. This mixture of influences isn't a bad thing though as it certainly brings in a fresh sound to the band's music. The album ends off with the same acoustic guitar line as the intro, only this time with the presence of drums and mournful lead electric guitar to signify the end of the album.

While it is understandable that the band attempts to let each individual member have their personal air time on the songs, it could get slightly irritating at times, especially in the bass department. While generally the high presence of the bass certainly is enjoyable, bringing back to mind classic bands such as Black Sabbath with the punchy bass, songs such as Wolves of Dusk the bass starts to sound slightly confused and confusing on the part of the listener, affecting the experience slightly.

While the mix of all the different classic influences in Argus' album might put doom metal purists off, but this has certainly worked well with me, considering that the influences that are put into the music come from some of my all-time favourite bands. Certainly an album to check out if one is looking for something fresh.